This invention relates to hair curlers for professional and non-professional use. The hair curlers can be heated in a home microwave, and will emit moisture which is replenished during storage between uses.
As related in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,051, there is a need for a convenient hair curler which will retain heat, particularly heat from a domestic microwave, and emit moisture during use. In the ""051 patent, I disclosed the concept of employing a gel comprising a crosslinked water soluble polymer, a humectant, and water as a heat-retaining composition capable of emitting moisture during use in a heated condition. In FIG. 2, the gel is illustrated in a layer contained in a fabric sheath, forming a tube-like construction. The tube-like device is retained by a rigid plastic support, preferably in the shape of a hollow cylinder. The present invention is an improvement on the basic concept of the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,051, which is incorporated entirely herein by reference.
The present invention employs a gel of a composition similar to that described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,051, but uses it in a different physical form and utilizes a moisture-permeable support which does not require a supplemental rigid support. The gel is in a substantially cylindrical form and, in spite of its high water content, is firm but resilient and flexible. It is encased preferably in two layers of moisture-permeable fabric or flexible film, which assures that its physical shape will be retained while it may be bent or even curved back upon itself and yet retain its original cylindrical form when released. The two (preferably) layers of moisture-permeable material assure that the gel is retained in place, but also are excellent for ease of manufacture.
The curler comprises a rod-shaped body of gel surrounded by a tube-like moisture-permeable sheath, further encased in a second moisture-permeable sleeve which may be enclosed at the ends. This means that the gel can be extruded or otherwise more or less continuously placed inside the inner sheath, and the composite article can be made in long lengths which are then cut for making individual curlers. The curler-length pieces are then inserted into somewhat longer moisture-permeable sleeves of fabric having a slightly larger internal diameter. The longer sleeves preferably extend on both ends beyond the ends of the sheath/gel segments inside them, so the ends can be stitched or otherwise closed, optionally leaving a loose extension for tying or attachment of a cord, strap or length of fabric for fastening to the other end to form a circle if desired.